18 January 2015

"Schengen" Your Way Into Europe

Crossing
to Belgium from the Netherlands and back is simple. Just walk right
in.

Although
the two countries differ in policy, they agree on a free flow of
migrants between them. No passport required and no border security to
hold you. In fact, both countries allow EU and non-EU citizens to
cross the border without delay (given that they have the legal
paperwork). This part of the EU is known as the Schengen Area.

Not
all EU member-states are part of the Schengen Area. The U.K., for
instance, isn't part of the Schengen Area, so entering and leaving
the country are still subject to passport checks. The entire EU
mainland, however, is part of the Schengen Area, as well as non-EU
countries such as Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland.

The
Schengen Area is great for people who frequently move across Europe.
They can settle in a Schengen country and operate virtually anywhere
without being delayed by passport checks and border security. In
fact, one of the primary purposes of establishing the Schengen Area
is to promote free trade.

Thanks
to the Schengen Agreement signed in 1985, The Dutch-Belgian border
has become one of the most interesting borders in the world. The
border can actually divide a house's living room and kitchen. EU and
non-EU tourists come to take their picture standing on or in between
the border, which is marked by a series of plus signs.